The Third Republic - solidarity comrades!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are not staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

PfFrench well done on your thread.

Also surely you could do Physics we are desperate for Physics teachers.

pfrench - they'd take you for science with your masters. I'm a non specialist and feel awful about it - then I discover the actual degrees some of our 'specialists' did and realise no one is really a specialist let alone when you take into account that everyone teaches all three sciences. Clearly my school isn't the best example though. I was supply teaching there after returning from overseas and they offered me a science job based on how well I'd delivered Science cover lessons. Believe me I'm not holding this up as an example of high standards.

So, basically, you're in bite your hand off territory!

We had a lovely student teacher last year who already had a job lined up after her first week in a school - I tried to be flattering and she was like nah I think the criteria for science is a warm body.

So yes bite your hand off territory.

But god love all these posters who think older teachers or those with underlying conditions or bmi's over 27 should just resign and be 'replaced'. Literally no clue of the state schools are in and how making teachers lives horrendous = low recruitment and even lower retention especially in stem subjects.

We'd take you for science or maths pfrench. No maths vacancies at the minute, but we've got 3 maths teachers who are primary trained. They don't teach ALevel, but they teach up to GCSE. The science department are currently fully staffed for the first time in years, but about half the department are teaching outside their specialism.

You could move quite easily PFrench. I went the other way from secondary to primary but I still get phone calls asking me if I'd be interested in returning to secondary. I do miss teaching A Levels. But not year 9. Never year 9.

I would add the warning though that teaching a non specialist subject is bloody hard work and whilst I may be biased I think Science is hardest of all. In reality it's three subjects and you're supposed to be able to know not only a ton of theory knowledge and how to deliver it differentiated but also to know how to manage practicals and do so safely without any training.

I've witnessed NQTs be banned from practicals for a term because they weren't managing them safely yet I've had zero training and was expected to just be able to do it from day one.

Somehow I've pulled it off and get great feedback on performance reviews praising how I have taken responsibility for my own development etc but in reality it's meant that I do more work for my part time job as a non specialist than I did for full time work in my specialist area.

In reality though there have been several times where I've been in tears begging to not have ks4 or to be allowed one free per fortnight to observe specialists.

Conversely - how could I switch to primary?

I left a job at Easter 2016 (I was meant to be moving but didn’t, but took the chance to leave a job in a rapidly-declining school) - I was worried about being out of work but walked into a six week supply job the first day back after the holidays. That was in a sixth form college and that’s what decided me to make the switch from secondary to post-16, which was the best decision I’ve ever made. And there’s such pleasure I knowing I could walk into a job any time (I’m secondary English trained with a LOT of different A level experience so very in demand).

Another thread has started up - complaining about bastard teachers showing favouritism even in lockdown.
Am sitting on my hands to stay off it.

Another thread has started up - complaining about bastard teachers showing favouritism even in lockdown.Am sitting on my hands to stay off it.

Ffs! Well done to stay off it.

I am really on edge at the moment with all the media bollocks recently. I am v concerned by what the government are going to come up with.

It looks from FB like the NEU are taking it pretty seriously-area union meetings planned ASAP after the announcement.

Conversely - how could I switch to primary?

Again, the number of Sen teachers who started out in secondary is rather amusing...

Again, middle school is probably a way in. Y6 teaching too. Only issue would be you're a jack of all trades in primary so would have to get good at the other subjects too!

Maybe there’s a niche for an agency to handle Secondary/Primary job swaps?
We deliver Level 2 Functional Maths, Eng, ICT in 4-day taught courses (E&M) (3-day ICT) with exams included. 50% pass rate Maths, 70% Eng, 80% ICT. After resits, all bar a very few eventually achieve.

twitter.com/cyclingkev/status/1258712907476537345?s=21

TUC joint statement on schools reopening just been released

how making teachers lives horrendous = low recruitment and even lower retention especially in stem subjects.

*These people are unbelievable.

Guess lots of other jobs are advertised in ad breaks too. Must have missed that one.*

I rather enjoy the challenge of teaching different subjects hence ending up being a sought after supply teacher and being offered jobs everywhere I went. I resisted really well and then caved with this one because it's very local to me and fitted so well with ds starting secondary.

What I noticed doing supply is that there are two main types of supply teachers

• Type 1: those who are great teachers who for whatever reason don't want a 'proper' job right now and will be picky about where they work and will only take on a longer term assignment if the pay is right and there are clearly agreed terms re: planning, marking, etc.

• Type 2: those who cannot secure a permanent contract for a variety of reasons, eg. terrible classroom management/total ...inappropriateness for the classroom, very poor english, etc (some of the things I want to right would be really rude so I'm restraining myself).

The type 1 types are not going to suddenly agree to go to schools they've refused to teach in or take on long term placements with shitty conditions - they are not full time contracted teachers for a reason. The type 2 ones would work anywhere but it's not particularly in students interests to have them.

When I was supply and enquired about primary I was told I could do primary but I would be paid at the rate of a TA due to not being qualified but expected to take on the responsibilities of a teacher.

write not right - i'm embarrassed by that post sorry.

I'm seriously considering handing my notice in depending on Sunday's announcement.
I'm an "actually qualified in my specialism" science teacher who had a breakdown some years back, and had subsequent relapses post natally after each child. I'm therefore very very part time.
I'm really struggling with my anxiety and OCD due to the situation and I genuinely can't see how I will cope with going back and cope with a preschooler and 2 primary children who may be in school different days to me.
My husband is the main wage earner and under threat of redundancy so we are prioritising his work currently. It's related to the health industry although support services
I can barely cope with potty training the toddler and home schooling my kids and keeping them from disturbing my husband, let alone everything else.

That joint statement is huge in its importance. Very interested to see what effect it has on Sunday's announcement. There seems to be a fair bit of back pedalling in the media.

Thanks cyber

That joint statement is huge in its importance. Very interested to see what effect it has on Sunday's announcement. There seems to be a fair bit of back pedalling in the media

Absolutely. I’m sure the right wing media will be wetting themselves in indignation about the workshy cowardly left who don’t fancy going back to work, but I think it’s huge. People expect ‘whinging teachers’ to complain, but Head Teachers plus Unison/Unite is significant.

I'm one of the whinging teachers I guess.

I'm one of the whinging teachers I guess

Please don’t think that was any sort of criticism of you. I’m a whinging teacher, too.

why

Teaching has broken me several times; plus shit health at times due to chronic conditions. I "look" well though and indeed was cartwheeling with my son earlier. I am well, just fatigue is never far away.

I'm very very part time too. Teaching with small kids is extremely exhausting. I have a 2 year old who's sleep has been ridiculous since lock down, I thought it would be the opposite! Dh keeps suggesting a sabbatical which I wonder if school would appreciate. I don't know yet though what they'll say about the flu jab lot though which I am.

Perhaps it could be a good thing for you to do? You'd easily get back in, if you wanted to. Even as a TA at first. Either that or consider being signed off as if your anxiety is rising that might be red flags for you to make some string decisions?

Bless you whynot. Totally understand. If I could afford to I'd be thinking similar but I'm a single mum and actually teaching is the only job I can do part time and still cover the bills.